Arogya Worldhttp://arogyaworld.org
A global health non-profit organizationFri, 11 Aug 2017 04:19:19 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.6Meet the Arogya World Team: Erin Justenhttp://arogyaworld.org/meet-the-arogya-world-team-erin-justen/
http://arogyaworld.org/meet-the-arogya-world-team-erin-justen/#respondThu, 29 Jun 2017 03:16:33 +0000http://arogyaworld.org/?p=4377Arogya World Fellow Mallika Rao interviewed Erin Justen. As a public health professional, Erin Justen has a passion for making the world a healthier place. She joined the Arogya World team last year as a Development Consultant, and has enjoyed her experience thus far. Here is her story: Tell me about your role in Arogya... Read More

As a public health professional, Erin Justen has a passion for making the world a healthier place. She joined the Arogya World team last year as a Development Consultant, and has enjoyed her experience thus far. Here is her story:

Tell me about your role in Arogya World and how you got involved.

I found out about Arogya through one of the board members. I am helping with development for the organization, which includes writing grants and fundraising. Recently, we received a grant from Lions Club International and Lions Club Bangalore to scale our mDiabetes project in Bangalore — reaching 200,000 with our messages this year. This grant helps us as we move toward our goal on improving the health of one million by 2020.

How has your experience shaped your understanding of NCDs?

My background is in public health and understanding the global perspective on prevention of disease through community projects. I previously worked at the CDC Foundation on projects covering many diseases and conditions, both domestically and globally. Many of the projects were population-level health education campaigns. My interest has always been in promoting healthy lifestyles to reduce risks for chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

I liked the idea of working with Arogya World because it aligns with the way I am trying to teach my young children (2-year-old twins and a 5-year old) to be healthy through exercise and good nutrition. And teaching children before their lifestyle habits are set, like the Healthy Schools program, can help prevent many NCDs.

How has Arogya World changed the conversation on NCD prevention?

It’s building a case for changing behaviors, which is an important piece of the puzzle. You can change the laws and improve the communities through other strategies and behavior change. Reaching people through technology is a good place to start.

]]>http://arogyaworld.org/meet-the-arogya-world-team-erin-justen/feed/0Meet the Arogya World Team: Sukanti Ghoshhttp://arogyaworld.org/meet-the-arogya-world-team-sukanti-ghosh/
http://arogyaworld.org/meet-the-arogya-world-team-sukanti-ghosh/#respondThu, 29 Jun 2017 03:13:07 +0000http://arogyaworld.org/?p=4374Arogya World Fellow Mallika Rao interviewed Sukanti Ghosh. After two decades in strategic communications in India and in several countries around the world, Sukanti Ghosh brought his experience to help shape and deliver communications around Arogya World’s mDiabetes program in India. He was invited in 2011 to join Arogya World’s Global Behavioral Change Taskforce, a... Read More

After two decades in strategic communications in India and in several countries around the world, Sukanti Ghosh brought his experience to help shape and deliver communications around Arogya World’s mDiabetes program in India.

He was invited in 2011 to join Arogya World’s Global Behavioral Change Taskforce, a group of medical, scientific, health promotion, communications and consumer experts, seeking to break down strong scientific research into a series of compelling, easy to understand messages that would resonate with the average person in India and encourage them to adopt healthier lifestyles.

“I joined Arogya World out of personal interest,” he said. “The rising incidence rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is alarming in India.”

The problem, he explains, operates on multiple levels: the lack of awareness around how medical conditions like diabetes or stress-related disorders can be avoided or later managed through proper eating habits, an active lifestyle, timely check-ups and proper medication – as opposed to self-medication, no medication or over medication, all of which are relatively common in India.

Yet despite the efforts of the government, civil society organizations, healthcare companies, and NGOs to educate people at large about these lifestyle diseases, and rising levels of health consciousness amongst the urban youth of today, the incidence of NCDs such as diabetes continue to grow in India at an alarming rate. (Statistics reveal that the people residing in India today have a 50 percent higher chance of developing Type II diabetes over people resident in the U.S).

Diabetes is also quite prevalent amongst Indians living in the U.S. According to Medscape, people of Indian decent are three times likelier to have diabetes, than white Americans.

Incidences of cancer are also becoming increasingly common in India as well. Per an article in The Times of India, the country’s leading mainline daily, there are an estimated 145 million Indians living with cancer in India and another 700,000 new cases reported every year.

However, India’s attitudes toward cancer and cancer patients is decidedly more negative than other forms of NCDs.

“Twenty years ago, people would possibly know of one person in their distant horizon who were suffering from cancer; ten years ago, these numbers became more pronounced; and, today, almost everyone has someone in the family who has suffered from the disease. The fact that very few people are ready to talk about the disease – even when they have fully or partially recovered – only helps to make the atmosphere full of doom and gloom as cancer is only associated with extreme suffering for the patient and family, expenses and death. Under such circumstances it is only natural for everyone to write on off as soon as they are diagnosed with the disease.”

Although Ghosh has been living in in Houston, TX only since November last year, he has travelled and lived around the world throughout his life. It is his 8-year long stint in India before coming to the US, his roots in the country, his passion with everything that has to do with healthcare, and his pain at seeing people embrace avoidable medical conditions as part of their destiny that, drives him to continue to try and make a difference.

Through his experience at Arogya World, Ghosh has seen an organization that has tried to do its part around changing the conversation around NCDs in India.

“Nalini has done a great job of trying to bring together a team of people with complementary skillsets to design communications solutions and human interventions that are knowledge, research and technology based, and through a process of positive stimuli attempt to trigger a new set of behaviours or reinforce a set of actions amongst a section of people who value informed choice. However, all of us agree that we haven’t even reached the tip of the iceberg. There are miles to go before we sleep.”

]]>http://arogyaworld.org/meet-the-arogya-world-team-sukanti-ghosh/feed/0Meet the Arogya World Team: Rajat Guptahttp://arogyaworld.org/meet-arogya-world-staff-rajat-gupta/
http://arogyaworld.org/meet-arogya-world-staff-rajat-gupta/#respondWed, 31 May 2017 22:17:00 +0000http://arogyaworld.org/?p=4360Arogya World Fellow Mallika Rao interviewed Rajat Gupta. Rajat Gupta knows a thing or two about business development. With several top positions under his belt, Gupta became an independent consultant in 2009, and now works with Arogya World to develop and execute fundraising strategies. He talked about his experience with Arogya and his personal connection... Read More

Rajat Gupta knows a thing or two about business development. With several top positions under his belt, Gupta became an independent consultant in 2009, and now works with Arogya World to develop and execute fundraising strategies. He talked about his experience with Arogya and his personal connection to the organization’s mission.

Tell me about your role in Arogya World and how you got involved.

My role primarily is to scale up the existing programs and generate fundraising strategies for programs. I organize the Healthy Workplaces conference, which is held in November. I’m currently working on the MyThali program. Our goal ultimately is to see how many people we can reach with each program, and what kind of funds we can generate.

How has your experience shaped your understanding of NCDs?

I have a lot of personal experience with this cause. At 37, I was diagnosed with diabetes. It runs in my father’s side of the family. On top of genetics, I was also leading a rather wild lifestyle. The doctors in my family said to me that if I want to live longer, I have to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Because of the knowledge I have now, I have lost almost 51 pounds.

When it comes to diseases like this, prevention is better than a cure. People ignore symptoms of these diseases and taking care of their health, only to get a diagnosis like this.

How has Arogya World changed the conversation on NCD prevention?

Arogya [World]’s model is rather unique from other organizations that are getting people around the world to talk about health and wellness. Arogya talks in plain and simple terms: if you take care of your health, you create wonders. It reaches workplaces and schools, which is unprecedented. The science we break down is not rocket science, and the language we use engages people to come out and support our work.

]]>http://arogyaworld.org/meet-arogya-world-staff-rajat-gupta/feed/0Meet Arogya World Team: Nandini Ganeshhttp://arogyaworld.org/meet-arogya-world-staff-nandini-ganesh/
http://arogyaworld.org/meet-arogya-world-staff-nandini-ganesh/#respondWed, 31 May 2017 22:14:52 +0000http://arogyaworld.org/?p=4357Arogya World Fellow Mallika Rao interviewed Nandini Ganesh. Former information technology professional Nandini Ganesh joined the Arogya World team in August of 2012 after a 10-year career at global software company Sonata Software Limited. Since then, her experience has transformed her knowledge of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) for the better. She shared her thoughts on why... Read More

Former information technology professional Nandini Ganesh joined the Arogya World team in August of 2012 after a 10-year career at global software company Sonata Software Limited. Since then, her experience has transformed her knowledge of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) for the better. She shared her thoughts on why she believes Arogya World is doing wonders in raising awareness of NCDs in her native India.

Tell me about your role in Arogya World and how you got involved.

I got involved in Arogya World through Dr. Geeta Bharadwaj (Head of the Healthy Workplace Initiative), who wanted someone to work in Bangalore. To be quite frank, I was interested in the role because I love giving back through my work. I held a part-time job in social services once, and I love that line of work. Through my work, I help people in the area by coordinating meetings and doing administrative work for Healthy Workplaces. I also train children in the Healthy Schools program, which is one of my favorite things to do, and I also help the Arogya team with work on the myArogya app and mDiabetes.

How has your experience shaped your understanding of NCDs?

As someone in the general public, I only knew what I heard through word of mouth and through Google, and I only knew the basics of each of these diseases. Now, I have learned that there are so many things we can do to prevent NCDs. I did not have much information about that before. As with anything, once you get started working somewhere, you learn more than you did before.

How has this cause touched your life personally?

I have family members who have suffered from cancer, and my work at Arogya is definitely more personal because of this. It is still difficult to go through, but my work at Arogya has made it easier for me to handle these challenges.

How has Arogya World changed the conversation on NCD prevention?

Arogya has done a wonderful job informing people on the prevention of these diseases. We knew more about NCDs before, but we didn’t know how to practically go about managing them. Now, we know it’s as simple as diet and exercise.

]]>http://arogyaworld.org/meet-arogya-world-staff-nandini-ganesh/feed/0Arogya World Celebrates Life Without Disease at 2017 Chicago Gala!http://arogyaworld.org/arogya-world-celebrates-life-without-disease-at-2017-chicago-gala/
http://arogyaworld.org/arogya-world-celebrates-life-without-disease-at-2017-chicago-gala/#respondWed, 31 May 2017 22:12:15 +0000http://arogyaworld.org/?p=4351We did it again! We are grateful to our Chicago friends for another wonderful gala to celebrate effective strategies for fighting chronic disease. With the help of our community, we raised a record $165,000, which will directly help 350,000 people lead healthier lives—in India as well as here in the United States. This year marked... Read More

]]>We did it again! We are grateful to our Chicago friends for another wonderful gala to celebrate effective strategies for fighting chronic disease. With the help of our community, we raised a record $165,000, which will directly help 350,000 people lead healthier lives—in India as well as here in the United States.

This year marked our 5th celebration, and was held in the Chicago Cultural Center. We were fortunate to have the support of great corporate sponsors including Quinnox, Aon, Hartford Funds, Cigna, Mesirow, Merrill Lynch, Novartis, Duane Morris, the American Heart Association, and TiE Midwest. We also received gifts from many generous individuals.

During the celebration, we honored Raj Rajaram and the Lions Clubs organization for their incredible support of our mDiabetes program, and heard from Dr. Namratha Kandula of Northwestern University. We also previewed our exciting plans to scale up our NCD prevention programs in India, as well as to bring our multi-pronged community approaches to Chicago this year.

Our annual auction, again led by Gary Seybold from Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, was a great success. Top bidders left with prizes such as a holiday in Italy and Hamilton tickets!

]]>http://arogyaworld.org/arogya-world-celebrates-life-without-disease-at-2017-chicago-gala/feed/0Creating Healthier Communities in India — and now Chicagohttp://arogyaworld.org/creating-healthier-communities-in-india%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8aand-now-chicago/
http://arogyaworld.org/creating-healthier-communities-in-india%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8aand-now-chicago/#respondFri, 07 Apr 2017 15:36:03 +0000http://arogyaworld.org/?p=4319By Nalini Saligram, Founder and CEO of Arogya World Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) — heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic lung disease — are one of the 21st century’s greatest health and development challenges, and have become the leading cause of death in most regions of the world. I founded Arogya World 7 years ago to do something about this.... Read More

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) — heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic lung disease — are one of the 21st century’s greatest health and development challenges, and have become the leading cause of death in most regions of the world. I founded Arogya World 7 years ago to do something about this.

Since then, together with like-minded people and like-minded organizations, we’ve implemented innovative programs in India that take prevention to people where they live, work and learn. These programs have been proven to be effective in helping children and adults change behavior and lead healthier lives — as well as share what they’ve learned with friends and family.

I am passionate about this work, and encouraged by the progress we have made. Now we’re ready to bring our multi-pronged community approaches to South Asians living in the United States. As a community, we are more susceptible to diabetes and other NCDs — research has shown that South Asians in the U.S. have 4 times the risk of diabetes when compared to Caucasians. Finding out what prevention approaches will work to reduce that risk is very important.

Here is an outline of our plan to get started in Chicago:

1. First, we want to conduct an effectiveness study of our mDiabetes and Digital Heart Health text messages in bringing about behavior change among South Asians in Chicago. In India, our mDiabetes text messages have been shown to be effective, with 15% more people making positive health behavior changes.

2. We are looking at implementing lifestyle coach-led behavior change sessions for South Asians in Chicago. This methodology, based on the landmark clinical trial Diabetes Prevention Program and offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Emory University, has been shown to be very effective.

3. Finally, we want to promote healthy cooking in Chicago. A healthy diet is so important and a key element in preventing chronic disease.

We are lining up partners and sponsors to help us implement these. And, once we have success in our Chicago pilot, we hope to expand further — including in California, where we recently set up a Working Group to advise us on future programs and activities.

I am excited about the possibilities! But we can’t do this alone. We need your help and support as we raise funds for our programs. Come to our Gala in Chicago on May 12, where we celebrate our supporters and partners — and welcome others into our community. This year, as in years past, our event promises to be a fun and elegant party with great food and wine and our most colorful Indian attire.

]]>http://arogyaworld.org/creating-healthier-communities-in-india%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8aand-now-chicago/feed/0Arogya World’s New Tobacco-free Worksite Programhttp://arogyaworld.org/arogya-worlds-new-tobacco-free-worksite-program/
http://arogyaworld.org/arogya-worlds-new-tobacco-free-worksite-program/#respondFri, 31 Mar 2017 15:42:15 +0000http://arogyaworld.org/?p=4307By Usha Chander, Arogya World This year, Arogya World introduced a new Tobacco-free Worksite Challenge award to further strengthen the commitment of employers towards employee health and wellness. Arogya World has recently collaborated with Global Smoke-free Worksite Challenge, a global, multi-sector initiative, that assists employers in making their worksites tobacco-free. The goals of the Challenge... Read More

This year, Arogya World introduced a new Tobacco-free Worksite Challenge award to further strengthen the commitment of employers towards employee health and wellness. Arogya World has recently collaborated with Global Smoke-free Worksite Challenge, a global, multi-sector initiative, that assists employers in making their worksites tobacco-free. The goals of the Challenge are to protect employees from second hand smoke and help those who use tobacco to quit.

It is a well-known fact that tobacco use, a modifiable behavior and the foremost cause of preventable death, triggers a wide range of chronic diseases including several types of cancers, as well as heart and lung disease. The total number of premature deaths caused by tobacco use and exposure to tobacco products is projected to go up to a billion in the 21st century.

Arogya World has embarked upon the important mission of encouraging all its Healthy Workplaces to take up the Tobacco-free Worksite Challenge. The challenge not only offers great potential to enhance our first and mandatory criteria (a “No Tobacco Use” policy), but also assures employees that the company cares. The toolkit from the Global Challenge, designed to promote smoke-free air policies and provide the basic elements of an effective smoke-free plan, allows us to help companies in designing and achieving a tobacco-free worksite in a systematic way. Proper implementation requires planning and coordination and this tool kit provides senior leadership and staff easy-to-follow steps on becoming tobacco-free, along with effective advice on how to deal with non-compliance issues. We train the companies on all the steps from a comprehensive checklist included in the toolkit.

This year, five pioneering Healthy Workplace companies from varied sectors have enthusiastically taken up the Challenge and have come up with a timeframe for implementation. They are keenly considering the action points suggested in the toolkit and are adapting it to fit their unique circumstances. All five companies are in different stages of implementation, working towards providing an environment that promotes healthy behavior and reduces exposure to second-hand smoke. The challenge not only facilitates putting in place a robust tobacco-free policy, but also protects the individual employee and his/her family’s right to breathe clean air, which takes precedence over any possible right of smokers to pollute the air other people breathe.

Arogya’s Tobacco-free Worksite companies will be recognized at our Healthy Workplace Conference & Award event on November 9 in Bangalore.

]]>http://arogyaworld.org/arogya-worlds-new-tobacco-free-worksite-program/feed/0Reducing the Burden of NCDs and Caregiving on Womenhttp://arogyaworld.org/reducing-the-burden-of-ncds-and-caregiving-on-women/
http://arogyaworld.org/reducing-the-burden-of-ncds-and-caregiving-on-women/#respondMon, 27 Mar 2017 01:46:51 +0000http://arogyaworld.org/?p=4280By Gloria Barone Rosanio, Arogya World Board Member It’s often said that a woman’s work is never done. Never has that phrase rung more true than when considering the role of women as caregivers, a topic that was explored March 16 at a side event at the United Nations’ 61st session of the Commission on the Status of... Read More

It’s often said that a woman’s work is never done. Never has that phrase rung more true than when considering the role of women as caregivers, a topic that was explored March 16 at a side event at the United Nations’ 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The health, economic and social impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on women throughout their lives was the focus of “Women and NCDs: Debunking Myths and Taking Action,” organized by the Taskforce on Women & NCDs and the NCD Alliance in collaboration with UN Women, International Alliance of Women, and Conference of NGOs and supported by Cigna.

Fifty women’s health advocates, policymakers, heads of delegations, leaders, and women from the global business community from around the world took part in the discussion, all united by a common purpose: to reduce the burden of NCDs – including caregiving – on women.

The statistics are staggering. In a 2014 study of 10,000 women worldwide by Arogya World, 50 percent of women said they provide care for someone in the household who suffers from an NCD such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease, and 20 percent said they had to quit their jobs to provide care. Nearly one-quarter of the women said they spend 25 percent of the household income on NCDs, and one in 10 women said that half the family income is spent on NCDs.

At the same time, caregivers tend to put themselves last. Surveys find that women who spend nine or more hours a week caring for an ill or disabled spouse increase their risk of heart disease twofold. Other health effects include elevated blood pressure, poorer immune function and an increased risk of mortality. While women are caring for others, they are neglecting their own health.*

The health and economic burden on women cannot be solved overnight, but there are actions we can all advocate for right now that will help break the cycle of poor health and financial limitations for women caregivers. We need to unite in a global call-to-action and implore world leaders and policymakers to support education and empowerment for all women so they can lead their families towards healthy living and to be able to earn a living.

As daunting as it may sound, there are specific measures that have taken root over the years that have, and will continue, to help women prevent NCDs. Tobacco control, for example, has been significant, and in many countries, the prevalence of smoking is declining slowly.** Salt reduction, as well, has had an impact on reducing blood pressure levels and heart disease. Women play a vital role in cultures where salt is overused, and they take a leadership role at the household level in terms of reducing discretionary salt use.** These, and other proven methods of NCD prevention, must continue and proliferate.

But what about the economic burden on women, the other half of the “health and well-being” equation? The staggering economic impact of NCDs can push women and their families deep into poverty. The burden of caregiving is borne mostly by women. The voices of all women must be heard, and their contributions, whether they work in or outside the home, should count towards their country’s Gross Domestic Product.

This is not an impossible dream. According to the World Bank, over the past 20 years, an increasing number of countries have adopted legislation providing maternity and paternity benefits, enabling workers to meet their responsibilities outside work. More than half of all countries currently offer at least 14 weeks of maternity leave and 48 per cent of countries have provisions for paternity leave.*** With awareness, education and mobilization, this same approach to paid time off can be applied to caregiving. While each country will need to adopt a national standard critical to meeting the health and financial needs of its citizens, meetings such as the March 16 “Women and NCDs” discussion are a vital step in this evolution.

Together, we can shine a light on the issue and we can galvanize leaders and policymakers throughout the world around a common mission: providing better health and economic well-being to all women.

]]>http://arogyaworld.org/reducing-the-burden-of-ncds-and-caregiving-on-women/feed/0At United Nations, Taskforce on Women & NCDs Calls for Social Mobilization Against NCDs, with Women at the Centerhttp://arogyaworld.org/at-united-nations-taskforce-on-women-ncds-calls-for-social-mobilization-against-ncds-with-women-at-the-center/
http://arogyaworld.org/at-united-nations-taskforce-on-women-ncds-calls-for-social-mobilization-against-ncds-with-women-at-the-center/#respondFri, 17 Mar 2017 15:50:52 +0000http://arogyaworld.org/?p=4269Arogya World is a member of the Taskforce on Women & NCDs. NEW YORK, March 16, 2017/PRNewswire-USNewswire/– The health, economic and social impact of NCDs on women throughout their lives are the focus of high-profile “Women and NCDs: Debunking Myths and Taking Action” side event today from 1pm-3pm ET at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Organized by the... Read More

NEW YORK, March 16, 2017/PRNewswire-USNewswire/–The health, economic and social impact of NCDs on women throughout their lives are the focus of high-profile “Women and NCDs: Debunking Myths and Taking Action” side event today from 1pm-3pm ET at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Organized by the Taskforce on Women & NCDs and the NCD Alliance in collaboration with UN Women, International Alliance of Women, and Conference of NGOs, the event marks the UN’s 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women and highlights the unique burden of NCDs, including caregiving, on women. The event is supported by Cigna.

Women’s health advocates, policymakers, heads of delegations, female world leaders, and women from the global business community are expected to attend.

The session will kick off with opening remarks from Dr Gustavo Gonzalez-Canali from UN Women, followed by WHO’s Dr Nata Menabde who will debunk the common myths around NCDs. That will be followed by an overview on the lifecourse approach to women’s health by Dr. Heather White, PSI, co-chair Taskforce on Women & NCDs. A panel discussion, moderated by Dr Nalini Saligram, CEO and founder of Arogya World and co-chair of the Task Force on Women and NCDs, will focus on “Social Mobilization and Taking Action.” Panelists include Soon-Young Yoon from International Alliance of Women, Katie Dain from NCD Alliance and Dr. Christina Stasiuk from Cigna. The event will conclude with a call-to-action from Ambassador Sally Cowal, American Cancer Society, and one of the founders of the Taskforce on Women & NCDs.

“The Taskforce on Women and NCDs believes women everywhere have a right to health throughout their lives, from early childhood and adolescence through their reproductive years and into old age. Women must step up and demand a life course approach to their health,” said Dr. Heather White.

“When it comes to women and NCDs, there is much work to be done. NCDs impact women as patients, mothers and caregivers. Arogya World’s global study of 10,000 women estimated that 50 percent of women provide care for someone with an NCD, and 20 percent had to quit their jobs to do so,” pointed out Dr. Saligram. “The voices of all women and girls must be heard,” she said, “and their contributions, paid or unpaid, must count.”

In a global Call to Action (see below) Ambassador Sally Cowal said: “Women are a powerful solution to the NCD crisis. If they are educated and empowered to lead their families towards healthy living, we can win in this fight against NCDs. I would like very much to see women at the center of a global NCD prevention movement, and I invite all leaders coming to the CSW meetings this week, to collaborate with the Taskforce on this important work.”

A global Call to Action issued today by the Taskforce on Women and NCDs, to world leaders and policymakers, demands:

Recognition that the health of women and girls is a social justice issue

NCDs impact women uniquely as patients, mothers and caregivers.

The staggering economic impact of NCDs can push women and their families deeper into the abyss of poverty.

A special economic burden is placed on families when women die or are disabled by NCDs.

The burden of caregiving, often caused by NCDs, is borne mostly by women. The voices of all women and girls must be heard and their contributions, whether they work in or outside the home, should count towards their country’s GDP.

A lifecourse approach to women’s health in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) era

Women the world over have a right to health, all through their lives.

Women must demand this lifecourse approach to health, recognizing that

A woman’s life is worth more than her reproductive years

More in-country gender-specific prevention programs

So girls and women of all ages can readily access preventive health check-ups and NCD testing for hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, gestational diabetes, cervical cancer, breast cancer, and other medical conditions

Increased emphasis on adolescent girls for NCD prevention

Empowering Women to Lead Their Families towards Healthy Living- A New Strategy to Meet SDGs –

Girls and women of all ages are leaders and stewards of their own health and that of their families. Empowering women and girls with education and tools can help them steer their families towards healthy living. Indeed, women are powerful solutions to the NCD crisis.

Because NCDs have deep developmental impact, preventing NCDs for women and girls can free them up to earn a living, and in turn lift up their families and their communities.

About the organizations: The Taskforce on Women and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) brings together fourteen global health organizations from the women’s health and NCD communities to respond to the unique and growing burden of non-communicable diseases on women in low- and middle-income countries by mobilizing leadership, expanding technical expertise and disseminating evidence to inform policymaking, planning and services. www.womenandncds.org.

]]>http://arogyaworld.org/at-united-nations-taskforce-on-women-ncds-calls-for-social-mobilization-against-ncds-with-women-at-the-center/feed/0Arogya World Participates in OCCUCON 2017http://arogyaworld.org/arogya-world-participates-in-occucon-2017/
http://arogyaworld.org/arogya-world-participates-in-occucon-2017/#respondMon, 27 Feb 2017 22:11:40 +0000http://arogyaworld.org/?p=4260The Indian Association of Occupational Health (OCCUCON), held its 67th Annual National Conference February 8-11 in New Delhi. Attended by over 500 participants, OCCUCON 2017 focused on occupational health and safety in India and was inaugurated by Dr. Sowmya Swaminathan, Secretary Department of Health Research and Director General ICMR. We are proud to have OCCUCON aa a... Read More

]]>The Indian Association of Occupational Health (OCCUCON), held its 67th Annual National Conference February 8-11 in New Delhi. Attended by over 500 participants, OCCUCON 2017 focused on occupational health and safety in India and was inaugurated by Dr. Sowmya Swaminathan, Secretary Department of Health Research and Director General ICMR. We are proud to have OCCUCON aa a partner of Arogya’s Healthy Workplace program.

Arogya World Founder and CEO Nalini Saligram, one of OCCUCON’s featured speakers, spoke about how Arogya World’s Healthy Workplace recognition program is shaping company culture, making companies more encouraging of employee health, and building a network for employers to tap for learning best practices in NCD prevention and workplace wellness. Usha Chander, also of Arogya World, presented a paper about Arogya World’s new Platinum level award initiative and shared the data showing health improvement over the past three years in all the Platinum companies.

Notable scientific sessions shared newly published research by Reliance India and Siemens’ intervention about strategies for tackling the Vitamin D deficiency among their employees, including sun cafes and supplements. Other sessions of note: Indigo’s crew resource management, checklist culture and line oriented safety audit; Toyota Kirloskar’s endeavor to reduce health care costs and ensure business continuity by implementing control measures, evaluating the outcome and measuring the ROI; the presentation on assessing and managing the risks associated with shift work by Amara sleep clinic; the eye-opening discussion about the influence of climate change on occupational health; and the closing session on happiness at work, which increases emotional competency and confidence among employees.